ll persons" without first gaining the written
consent of More, and at once More "charged him with forfeiture of his
lease." But before More could "take remedy against him" Farrant died,
November 30, 1580. More, however, "entered upon the house, and refused
to receive any rent but conditionally."

By his will, proved March 1, 1581, Farrant left the lease of the
Blackfriars to his widow, Anne Farrant. But she had no authority over
the royal choristers, nor was she qualified to manage a company of
actors, even if she had had the time to do so after caring for her
"ten little ones." What use, if any, was made of the playhouse during
the succeeding winter we do not know. The widow writes that she,
"being a sole woman, unable of herself to use the said rooms to such
purpose as her said husband late used them, nor having any need or
occasion to occupy them to such commodity as would discharge the rents
due for the said rooms in the bill alledged, nor being able to
sustain, repair, and amend the said rooms," etc.;[157] the natural
inference from which is that for a time the playhouse stood unused.
The widow, of course, was anxious to sublet the building to some one
who could make use of it as a playhouse; and on December 25, 1580, she
addressed a letter to Sir William More asking his written permission
to make such a disposal of the lease. The letter has a pathetic
interest that justifies its insertion here:

_To the right worshipful Sir William More, Knight, at his
house near Guilford, give these with speed._

_Right worshipful Sir:_

After my humble commendations, and my duty also
remembered--where it hath pleased your worship to grant unto
my husband in his life time one lease of your house within
the Blackfriars, for the term of twenty-one years, with a
proviso in the end thereof that he cannot neither let nor
set the same without your worship's consent under your hand
in writing. And now for that it hath pleased God to call my
said husband unto His mercy, having left behind him the
charge of ten small children upon my hand, and my husband
besides greatly indebted, not having the revenue of one
groat any way coming in, but by making the best I may of
such things as he hath left behind him, to relieve my little
ones. May it therefore please your worship, of your abundant
clemency and accustomed goodness, to consider a poor widow's